No surprise, Alabama second in preseason AP poll

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. _ Although the University of Alabama football program wasn’t listed first in the preseason Associated Press poll that was released Sunday afternoon, it did put the Crimson Tide on the doorstep of a milestone.

It was the 99th consecutive AP poll that included Alabama. Before Nick Saban arrived in 2007, the program record was 71 consecutive weeks under Gene Stallings.

The first of eight Southeastern Conference teams ranked, tying a league record, Alabama received one first-vote while edging Oregon and Oklahoma for the second spot in the Top 25. With 57 of the 60 first-place votes Florida State begins the season where it finished last year, No. 1.

The last time the preseason No. 1 team won the national championship was Southern California in 2004, which has since been vacated due to NCAA penalties. In 1999, Florida State under Bobby Bowden became the first team to hold the top spot for the entire season.

The last two times Alabama was preseason No. 2, it won the national title (2011 and 2012).

Alabama has four ranked opponents on its schedule: No. 6 Auburn, No. 13 LSU, No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 21 Texas A&M. Florida, which the Crimson Tide will host Sept. 20, was listed second among other teams receiving votes.

The Crimson Tide was also second in the coaches’ poll, released earlier this month. In that voting it didn’t land any first-place votes, while Florida State received 56 of 62.

Alabama has been No. 1 at some point of the season during the past six years, dating back to 2008. It’s the second longest streak during the era of the AP poll dating back to 1936, just one shy of Miami’s seven (1986-92).

During that ongoing stretch, Alabama is 26-9 (.742) against ranked opponents, having won 13 of the last 15, and 16-5 (.761) against teams in the top 10.